So how long does Belkar have anyway?

[[TS] Shadow]

Seeing as it's been approximately one year since the Order split up (as shown by comic 647,) I've been wondering how long Belkar has untill he dies. Can someone help me with this?

[Irate Ranger]

For all we know, it could be the last day before the next new year. Or very soon.

The little bugger's a walking timebomb at this point.

[David Argall]

By Southern Calendar, the Oracle said he should savor his next birthday cake about January 4. Roy dies about January 15.
When he comes back and view the fleet, a little math tells us Lady Kato got knocked up about March 15.
When she fights the ninjas, she talks of 6 months of hemorrhoids, making the date September 15, and possibly December 15 since hemorrhoids are quite rare in an early pregnancy.
Belkar's comment in 647 also suggests a date in November or December. We don't have to assume it has been a full year, but we should assume it is within easy rounding distance of that.
Haley leaves Azure City in May, and is taking a trip that is expected to last weeks, perhaps 2 months as a maximum. The time does not really fit with the fleet time, but it certainly fits better with the Oracle saying Belkar dies within the current year rather than that the year has ended and a new one started.

It's time to be thinking about how Belkar buys it.

Our writer has a fair amount of flex, but Belkar may well not survive the current book, and is not going to see the next gate unless V teleports the entire party there.

[Aaron]

Probably a few more months until "Belkar will draw his last breath-ever-before the end of the year." We know it's been at least 4 months since Azure City fell, and that for the North, the new year 1184 only began before the city fell. So its probably May or June for the Northern Continent. The Oracle most likely uses the Northern Calender as well.
It has been a very long time of separation for Belkar, so he probably doesn't remember how long it's been. Its been 5 months tops. Belkar still has a while.

[Zevox]

Who knows, really. It all depends on how the story progresses from here. How much time passes per strip, and just what the event that will kill him is. Personally, I expect him to be around for a little while longer at least, so as to have something to show for that fake character development/team player status, but I won't be surprised if he's dead by the end of the (real-world) year.

Zevox

[M i M c]

Belkar, like any other character, will last for as long as the Giant wants him to. He could make Belkar live until the very last second of the year, or kill him off in the next strip (I don't think that he will die within the next comic though, I was just using it as an example)
It all follows the same general rule- If the writer wants X to get to Y on time, they will. If he wants them to miss it. they will as well.

[JonahFalcon]

Well, if Belkar is raised as an undead...

[M i M c]

Well, if Belkar is raised as an undead...

IF. Probablility is that Belkar will be brought back in some form, or he's just waiting to kick it for a good life in the afterlife. Depending on what his is for his alignment...

[Ridureyu]

You know, it could be that Belkar gets Snarled, and that's why he never breathes again.

[David Argall]

We know it's been at least 4 months since Azure City fell,
We know it has been way more than that, 9 months minimum. See above, but to repeat the basics, Roy was dead for 4 months and Lady Kato was still with a flat belly. She is now carrying a watermelon. Way more than 5 months.


The Oracle most likely uses the Northern Calender as well.
Now it is possible the Oracle uses the Northern Calendar, but there is absolutely no evidence of that. The Oracle is deep in Southern lands, and is to be presumed to use the Southern Calendar.

[Cracklord]

Durkon will rip his face off in the grips of a rage induced blackout next comic for daring to knock the beard. (It turns out he spent his new level on barbarian).

Don't look at me like that, you know you were all thinking it.

[Ghastly Epigram]

Now it is possible the Oracle uses the Northern Calendar, but there is absolutely no evidence of that. The Oracle is deep in Southern lands, and is to be presumed to use the Southern California.

The...the Southern California?

[Volkov]

The...the Southern California?

My thoughts exactly.

[DigoDragon]

The...the Southern California?

600 Oracle Way
Lickmyorangeballshalfling, CA 90034

[Lathund]

Eh, ok, can someone post links to the relevant episodes?

[ericgrau]

So from the above it seems that if the plot continues to progress a day at a time, Belkar doesn't have to bite it within that time. Though he could. Once the speed of plot slows down and we have another X week interlude, then he pretty much has to die. Plotwise he's barely started applying his character development, so it seems likely that he must survive through something. So now it's just a matter of what happens next in the comic.

[Aaron]

We know it has been way more than that, 9 months minimum. See above, but to repeat the basics, Roy was dead for 4 months and Lady Kato was still with a flat belly. She is now carrying a watermelon. Way more than 5 months.


Now it is possible the Oracle uses the Northern Calendar, but there is absolutely no evidence of that. The Oracle is deep in Southern lands, and is to be presumed to use the Southern California.

Hmm... good point. I forgot about that. Though I would like to just point out that Lady Kato said half a year (http://www.giantitp.com/comics/oots0589.html). So she could have just implied about half a year. It could really have been 4.5 or 5 months. Add most of the time Roy was dead before we saw them again, and it's at least 8 months. The rest, solid!:smallbiggrin:
For those who were asking about the Northern and Southern Calendars, see comic 302. (http://www.giantitp.com/comics/oots0302.html)

[Nerdanel]

If Belkar dies a little before the end of the current book, his and Roy's respective afterlife sequences could form symmetrical and aesthetically pleasing bookends.

Strip 666 with Belkar in Abyss, perhaps?

[Tanaar]

There are alternatives to death or becoming undead, though they are rather obscure.

Belkar draws his last breath:
-The Ioun stone that no longer requires you to breathe, or similar magic item
-Polymorphing into something that does not require air
-Taking on a template of some kind (elemental perhaps?)

Savor his next birthday cake:
-Similarly, any item that no longer requires him to eat
-Again, obscure template
-Belkar's next birthday cake is not necessarily associated with his next birthday. Assuming he's had a birthday since Azure City's invasion, under what circumstance would he have had a cake? ...Or people who care enough to make him one?
-Oracle could have been screwing with Belkar. Notice the lack of green text bubble indicating true kobold prophecy

Don't bother funding IRA:
-Belkar could end up fabulously rich and not need retirement funding
-Again, Oracle screwing with Belkar
-Could mean any number of things. Heck, could even mean that the bank Belkar would have set his IRA up with would crash and lose all the money

----------------

Despite these half-baked theories, by far the simplest solution is Belkar's death. Which is by far the most likely thing to happen, though I wouldn't put it past Rich to string us along and do a bait-and-switch as above.

Had to try. As Roy (http://www.giantitp.com/comics/oots0443.html) said, PCs are supposed to be able to weasel their way out of anything, and the Oracle (http://www.giantitp.com/comics/oots0567.html) himself tried to twist his own prophecy to prevent his predicted death.

[Foryn Gilnith]

If Belkar is having his prophecy twisted to survive, my bets are on him no longer being a "him". This isn't an original theory, but I heard it and as far as I can tell it holds up. It may need to be combined with another excuse, though.

[factotum]

If Belkar is having his prophecy twisted to survive, my bets are on him no longer being a "him". This isn't an original theory, but I heard it and as far as I can tell it holds up. It may need to be combined with another excuse, though.

Read strip #572. The Oracle--in an oracular trance, no less--says:

"Belkar will draw his last breath--ever--before the end of the year."

No ambiguity there at all that would be got round by Belkar changing sex or whatever. Face it, guys, Belkar is going to die, and quite soon as well if our estimate of the time of year is accurate.

[Salt_Crow]

Nah, he's got as long as Giant needs him to be alive :)

Once his use expires, I can see him as some sort of undead in my mind's eye

[Omegonthesane]

Read strip #572. The Oracle--in an oracular trance, no less--says:

"Belkar will draw his last breath--ever--before the end of the year."

No ambiguity there at all that would be got round by Belkar changing sex or whatever. Face it, guys, Belkar is going to die, and quite soon as well if our estimate of the time of year is accurate.

If he stops being a HE after he takes HIS last breath, and never changes back, it's still technically HIS last breath... shortly before HER first one.

Still, I think Belkar will spend a goodly section of the next book either undead, or just plain dead, neither of which gets IRA payments, eats birthday cakes, or draws breath. Still doesn't explain the "Belkar isn't long for this world" but...

[Tass]

Belkar, like any other character, will last for as long as the Giant wants him to. He could make Belkar live until the very last second of the year, or kill him off in the next strip (I don't think that he will die within the next comic though, I was just using it as an example)
It all follows the same general rule- If the writer wants X to get to Y on time, they will. If he wants them to miss it. they will as well.


Nah, he's got as long as Giant needs him to be alive :)

Yes. But presumably the giant is a good enough writer to have planned ahead. We can still speculate on the time the giant chose for him to die.

[Yendor]

Belkar, like any other character, will last for as long as the Giant wants him to. He could make Belkar live until the very last second of the year, or kill him off in the next strip.

Why not both?
:elan: Hooray! Now we're together again, let's all celebrate New Year's Eve!
...
:belkar: THREE! TWO! O-
:vaarsuvius: Quickened Disintegrate!

Just to be sure there's no repeat of what happened last year.

[Fitzclowningham]

I find it interesting that Roy is the only one who knows of the prophesy. Which, I think means:
that very soon after he is resurrected, Belkar bites it before Roy has a chance to warn him.

[Starwaster]

I find it interesting that Roy is the only one who knows of the prophesy. Which, I think means:
that very soon after he is resurrected, Belkar bites it before Roy has a chance to warn him.


I've been thinking for quite awhile that it would be dramatically inappropriate for Belkar to die before Roy's return. So it could be pretty soon, yeah. Roy's not going to stand up as soon as he's resurrected and say "Belkar you're gonna die."

He'll want to take him aside so they can talk in private.... that alone might not happen for several strips. And then, various events in those strips may force Roy to put off the conversation for a bit... no rush after all.

Then Belkar gets it from where nobody sees it coming.

Yeeeesh, I can't believe I just took part in this thread. I feel most unclean. I need to go take a shower.:smallyuk:

[factotum]

I still believe that Roy won't remember anything of what happened while he was dead when he's resurrected. If resurrected people remembered that sort of thing then everyone would KNOW what the afterlife is like--Roy wouldn't have had to ask all those questions of Eugene when he first arrived on the cloud.

That also conveniently means that Roy won't be able to ask V why he has two souls shackled to him, or warn Belkar of his imminent demise; it would also explain why the Oracle was apparently so lax about letting Roy remember everything when he Dismissal'd him back to the clouds.

[The MunchKING]

I still believe that Roy won't remember anything of what happened while he was dead when he's resurrected. If resurrected people remembered that sort of thing then everyone would KNOW what the afterlife is like--Roy wouldn't have had to ask all those questions of Eugene when he first arrived on the cloud.

Why?

I mean how many post-mortem heros do you assume people would talk to? And why would they go around describing the afterlife?

Likewise why would people beleave them? I mean it'd be like those people that have near-death experiences and claim to have seen Heaven before being told it wasn't their time. About the only people who beleave them are the ones who beleave in that sort of afterlife anyway...

[David Argall]

Why?
Well, one reason is that the Oracle saying Roy will not remember anything makes more sense [or at least sounds less a plot hole] when Roy is going to forget the afterlife when he gets back to life.


I mean how many post-mortem heros do you assume people would talk to? And why would they go around describing the afterlife?
It sounds like the sort of story you could dine out on. Certainly people would be willing to spring for a meal to hear your story.


Likewise why would people beleave them? I mean it'd be like those people that have near-death experiences and claim to have seen Heaven before being told it wasn't their time. About the only people who beleave them are the ones who beleave in that sort of afterlife anyway...
Our OOTS world lies quite close to the afterlife. Everybody knows a lot about it. So our returned soul is merely confirming what was already known.

[Omegonthesane]

Well, one reason is that the Oracle saying Roy will not remember anything makes more sense [or at least sounds less a plot hole] when Roy is going to forget the afterlife when he gets back to life.

Plot hole? I thought it was just the Oracle not knowing a whole lot about how the memory charm worked. If Roy was going to forget everything, it leaves the plot hole that the Oracle thought Roy'd remember "Belkar will draw his last breath...." as an official prophecy, which wouldn't happen if Roy's memories are gone for reasons of being raised.

Also, while it's not the same as Resurrection, there's surely some significance in the fact that ABD was able to remember being with her dead family in Tiamat's realm when V uncroaked her head. Why would an undead remember what happened after its death, and a living being brought back to true life not?

[Ron Miel]

Okay, as far as can see, the Oacle's prophecy was made only a few days ago, comic time. Belka killed the Oracle, and then spent a week with the curse before arriving at Pete's house. Maybe another week at most before Pete's betrayal and the guild arrived. Then at most another week before the reunion. At the outside the propecy was made three weeks ago.

So, hw wil;l die before the end of the year. But which year? Whose calenar are we talking about? It might be the kobold calendar, or the halfling calendar, or the Azure City calendar, or Roy's homeland calendar. Perhaps the prophecy was made only a few days into whichever year the Oracle was talking about. And maybe kobold years are several hunman years.

So, he has somewhere between a few days and a few years. Hope that makes things clear.

[David Argall]

Plot hole? I thought it was just the Oracle not knowing a whole lot about how the memory charm worked.
Since the Oracle sees the future, he doesn't have to know how the Memory Charm works. He just looks forward and sees it does what he says. So if we say Roy continues to remember everything, we have a plothole we can somewhat paper over if the party simply never sees the Oracle again.
But if he forgets everything except the prediction, the party can see the Oracle without any necessary conflict. The Oracle has to examine a precise part of the future to notice that he was mistaken, and he has no reason to do so.


If Roy was going to forget everything, it leaves the plot hole that the Oracle thought Roy'd remember "Belkar will draw his last breath...." as an official prophecy, which wouldn't happen if Roy's memories are gone for reasons of being raised.
As is often said, it's magic.
We can use the particular over the general here. The raising removes memories in general, but the particular memory of the prophecy is locked in, and survives the general memory wash.


Also, while it's not the same as Resurrection, there's surely some significance in the fact that ABD was able to remember being with her dead family in Tiamat's realm when V uncroaked her head. Why would an undead remember what happened after its death, and a living being brought back to true life not?
Properly, an undead should not have any such memories in the first place. To the extent the writer is paying attention to the rules here, this was a summons of a soul, which would retain memories.

Ron Miel
So, hw wil;l die before the end of the year. But which year? Whose calenar are we talking about? It might be the kobold calendar, or the halfling calendar, or the Azure City calendar, or Roy's homeland calendar.

The Oracle is deep in Southern lands, and that means the default calendar is the Southern one.

Perhaps the prophecy was made only a few days into whichever year the Oracle was talking about. And maybe kobold years are several hunman years.

The problem with that idea is that there are several "Belkar dies soon" prophecies, including "Belkar should savor his next birthday cake." That gives us a maximum of two years, and that prediction was made almost a year ago.

And remember our Oracle does not give tricky answers. His answers may be useless, but they are not misleading. [Some of us are not satisfied with the artistic fulfillment, but it is still a direct fulfillment, not some devious meaning.] We then have no reason to think that the predictions mean other than the obvious, that Belkar dies soon and will not return to the party.
Now that does not mean Belkar exits the story. Having seen Roy gone for over 200 strips, we may well see Belkar quite a bit in the future even if he is dead. There are even a couple of hints in the printed books that can mean we have a Belkar in Hades series coming up.

[Cracklord]

However long he has, it's far too long.
Kill him off already.

[Zanaril]

Now that does not mean Belkar exits the story. Having seen Roy gone for over 200 strips, we may well see Belkar quite a bit in the future even if he is dead. There are even a couple of hints in the printed books that can mean we have a Belkar in Hades series coming up.

Oh? What hints are there of that?

Apart from the whole Roy in the afterlife thing.

[David Argall]

Oh? What hints are there of that?

Apart from the whole Roy in the afterlife thing.

NCPB Round 8 notes "Belkar is a protagonist of OOTS regardless of his alignment. The strip will continue to follow him even if he leaves the OOTS..."

Followed by a reverse hint "if Miko had killed Belkar, we would probably have had a few strips about Belkar in the afterlife...that would have been great...opportunity missed...

There are a number of false hints, intended or not, and we are definitely prone to over reading, but the possibility is there.

[Wreckingrocc]

However long he has, it's far too long.
Kill him off already.Thank you!

[Elan man]

belkar wont die

[Cracklord]

belkar wont die

Interesting perspective. Do you have an argument, or do you just have faith?

[Cracklord]

Well, the time we've been waiting for anxiously with either dread or anticipation seems to be around the corner. Roy is about to come back, this arc is about to end and the year "in-game" is almost up. Belkar's days are numbered.
So how is he going to die? The Snarl? Xykon? A strange and improbable coincidence involving a bucket of cheese, a hatchet, a big man with a hammer and twenty kilometers of frozen river?
You decide.

[The Blackbird]

I think...

Minor SoD spoilers
Belkar will kill Xykon's zombie dog (Remember Barky?), then Xykon will toast him for it.

No I'm joking, but I do think Xykon will kill him at Girand's Gate. I don't think he will return, he will be having too much fun killing millions in the afterlife.

[Zevox]

this comic is about to end
Wait, what? How do you figure? We've still got at least two major plot portions to get through - the two remaining Gates - with at least one more potential major plot point, Lord Tyrrinar & Haley's captive father, still barely introduced and requiring resolution. And there could, and likely will given how the story has gone thus far, be any number of unforeseeable complications along the way. It seems to me we have, if anything, hit the halfway point of the comic's life. Certainly no more than the 2/3 completion point.

Anyway, on topic, don't know, but I'll be interested to find out, even though it means that there will likely be no more of my favorite character thereafter.

Zevox

[Cracklord]

Wrong word. Sorry.

[Zevox]

Wrong word. Sorry.
Ah, I see - this story arc makes much more sense.

Zevox

[Assassin89]

It could be possible that Belkar bothers the wrong person i.e. a paladin, or Tsukiko is looking for revenge against Mr. Scruffy and subsequently, Belkar.

[SPoD]

Shadow;6024654']Seeing as it's been approximately one year since the Order split up (as shown by comic 647,)

I think this is a misreading of Belkar's dialogue. Being apart for "another year" does not necessarily mean that they have already been apart for a year, anymore than me saying I will see you again next Sunday means that I definitely haven't seen you since last Sunday. In other words, consider reading his words to mean this:

:belkar: Wow, if he learned to heal in six months, let's split up for another year and he might master something REALLY hard for him--like basic multiplication.

I mean, I see what you're saying and it's probably a poor choice of dialogue, but there's too much evidence that it just hasn't been more than 6-7 months.

[liooil2000]

Belkar has probably quite a while, but not too long. If he is going to die, he has to die dramatically. In the end though, it's the Giant's choice. I think Belkar will live maybe a couple more months, then get killed. Or He gets killed by Xykon at Girard's gate.

[liooil2000]

1. the snarl takes Belkar at Girard's or Kraggor(forgive my bad spelling)'s gate.
2. Belkar gets killed by Xykon.
3. Belkar gets killed by someone in the party.
4. Belkar gets killed by the Linear Guild.
5. Belkar pisses off the wrong person at the wrong time.
6. Belkar dies in his sleep.
These are some possibilities, but I pick 5. It is most suited to Belkar.

[Elan man]

Belkar wont die

[Elan man]

he and his enemy will keep stabbing each other until belkar is flanked

[Darius1020]

who says the year is about to end? the third story arch started at the beginning of a year, but it was the southern time year. And since then, it's prolly been only about 6 months

i dont think belkars gonna die for a good amount of strips, maybe around 750ish?

[David Argall]

who says the year is about to end? the third story arch started at the beginning of a year, but it was the southern time year. And since then, it's prolly been only about 6 months

To repeat yet again...
The party left Azure City to visit the Oracle on January 1. After a week max of running around, they went off to Cliffport, and were back 4 days later. Shortly after this, they had the Battle for the city, say on the 15. Next we discover, Roy has been dead for 3 1/2 months. So May. At the wedding, we find Lady Kato got knocked up about March 15. She is then of flat belly. Later she balloons out and talks of six months of hemorrhoids, a problem for many pregnant women, but rarely in the first months of pregnancy. So she has been pregnant a minimum of 6 months, and likely a good deal longer.
We now add on a week or two since then and the minimum date is October 1, and December 31 is not impossible.
It has been way more than six months, and Belkar could die at any time, the next few strips being a particularly dangerous possibility.

[David Argall]

Belkar wont die

Repeating that won't make it true, and won't convince anybody either. Try supplying some reasons.



Being apart for "another year" does not necessarily mean that they have already been apart for a year, anymore than me saying I will see you again next Sunday means that I definitely haven't seen you since last Sunday. In other words, consider reading his words to mean this:

Wow, if he learned to heal in six months, let's split up for another year and he might master something REALLY hard for him--like basic multiplication.
That it "does not necessarily mean" means it generally does mean. In theory, it is possible Belkar is talking about a period of time far less than a year, but that is not the way to bet. Normally when you say "another" you are referring to a full time period. When you say "Give him another day/hour, you are meaning you have already waited at least another day/hour and quite possibly quite a few of them.

[Dienekes]

mook kills him. Then the group argues over if they should resurrect him or not. Only deciding it probably would be better if they didn't.

[derfenrirwolv]

Killed by a paladin. He always had a feeling that's how he'd die

[TheOOB]

Violence.

Most likely right after he does something for someone other then himself...I'm guessing saving Mr. Scruffy.

[Volkov]

Belkar will die monty python style, of a sudden and fatal heart attack for no reason, except that maybe Vecna's multiversal level screwing of reality finally hits the OOTS world and strikes him down.

[factotum]

He'll stop breathing... :smallbiggrin:

[Leta]

He'll kill fifty elder dragons, and then the fifty-first one will get lucky and kill him.

[isocum]

it's very unlikely, but the forum is about epileptic trees anyway:

vaarsuvius, very frustrated by not being able to show her new arcane powers, desperately trying to find an opportunity, and complain verbosely while at it. belkar, faking character development, decides to play along, and ask vaarsuvius about her limits. v says she can do everything, and belkar says he wants to be immortal. v reveals jephtons's epic spell, which is ripping peoples souls and bind them to any object permenantly. v, searching something to bind belkar, takes notice of roy's stuff, particularily the ancestral blade. cue resurrected roy, kissing his beloved sword, only to be gagged by belkars soul. then obviously, hilarity ensues.

[The Dark Fiddler]

Sometime in the near future, it will be revealed that Xykon has allied with the Kobolds, particularly, one group of Kobolds, who Belkar's angered, if you know what I mean. Anyway, in a particularly epic battle, Belkar goes up against a huge group of Kobolds. He goes down fighting, the way he would have wanted. His friends get him a Kobold skin casket.

[[TS] Shadow]

I'm almost positive that Belkar will die at the hands of Vaarsuvius. Belkar's been becoming more good (even if it is for the reason of being able to do more evil) and V has been becoming more evil (even if it was so he could help his family.) These paralells just scream "fight scene" to me, with Belkar sacrificing himself in order to stop psycho-V. There's also the Oracle's comment, but I don't like to use that as evidence because he was just making crap up at that point and we didn't even hear the point he wanted to make.

[JJ48]

How will Belkar die? It's obvious!

By saying the wrong four words to the wrong being at the wrong time for all the right reasons.

[Itamarcu]

Belkar will die by the hands of redcloak/xykon, while killing them or protecting mr. scruffy (which will be the one who defeat xykon!!!!!) and in the afterlife, he will just find someone to make him be able to stab peoples as a ghost and be seen when he wants to, and will continue with the order as a ghost...:smallamused:

[Volkov]

He'll kill fifty elder dragons, and then the fifty-first one will get lucky and kill him.

This isn't 4e, there is no elder age category.

[rokar4life]

I belive that what the oracle says is always true, but that it can be interpreted differently, and loopholes can be found. As such Belkar will figure that out and get V to turn him into a lich, she wont want to at first, but then s/he will realize that, damn it she loves him. And then the Belkster will become a blackgaurd because thats just how he rolls.

[Shpadoinkle]

Stop making these threads. There are already no less than fifty of them, we don't need more.

[rokar4life]

dont hate dude

[Zanaril]

Just so you know, the Belkar's Romantic Interest thread and the OOTS House of Horror are both non-canon.

[Wishpig]

I love the little guy, and I'm not even gonna try to guess how it dies, because I'm sure theres gonna be some cool twist to it... BUT...

I hope it's bloody, painfull, and he goes strait to hell to be tortured forever! Cause he deserves it.

If miko was still alive I would have guessed she would kill him though.

[rokar4life]

what, i've never heard of those things

[Linkavitch]

Okay. Belkar is going to die. It's a fact. Stop making these threads. And for another thing, I'm pretty sure you can't be turned into a Lich unless you're an epic-level sorcerer or wizard, and have an epic-level Cleric to help. Belkars not a epic sorcorer, and neither V or Durkon are epic-level clerics. (Though I wonder if the three fiends could splice the Dark One to V....) Belkar is going to die, and there is no way around it. He will probably die close to the end of the comic, but he will die.

[Volkov]

Okay. Belkar is going to die. It's a fact. Stop making these threads. And for another thing, I'm pretty sure you can't be turned into a Lich unless you're an epic-level sorcerer or wizard, and have an epic-level Cleric to help. Belkars not a epic sorcorer, and neither V or Durkon are epic-level clerics. (Though I wonder if the three fiends could splice the Dark One to V....) Belkar is going to die, and there is no way around it. He will probably die close to the end of the comic, but he will die.

Actually all you need is to have a caster level of eleven.

[Thajocoth]

If I was him, I'd draw a picture of breath.

Really though, it'll probably be the thing we least expect. The fact that people suspect he'll die makes me suspect there's another interpretation that we're missing. Especially since death doesn't actually make sense here. His "last breath" by death would mean that he doesn't get raised or refuses to return from being raised. Why wouldn't he get raised? Why would he refuse to return from the Chaotic Evil afterlife? He wants to kill things. The only way for him to draw his last breath by dying, really, would be through the Snarl, which isn't technically death, it's unmaking.

Is the lich thing likely? No. Too obvious.

It's going to be something no one else has thought of. That is all I'm sure of.

[The MunchKING]

I belive that what the oracle says is always true, but that it can be interpreted differently, and loopholes can be found. As such Belkar will figure that out and get V to turn him into a lich, she wont want to at first, but then s/he will realize that, damn it she loves him. And then the Belkster will become a blackgaurd because thats just how he rolls.

He can't be a Liche he doesn't have the spells. You got to be a caster to become a Liche. Best he could hope for is a Death Knight or something...

[The MunchKING]

His "last breath" by death would mean that he doesn't get raised or refuses to return from being raised. Why wouldn't he get raised?

He can't find people with 5,000 GP worth of diamonds, and a desire to have him back on earth?

[Ron Miel]

prediction:

Hell hath no fury like a woman scorned. Jenny will stalk him across several continents, dump Mr Scruffy in the cooking pot (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fatal_Attraction), and then kill him.

[Vorpal word]

He'll stop breathing... :smallbiggrin:

No seriously, this could be it. Say Belkar kills his newest Linear Guild rival (haven't seen them for a while so they should show up again soon). Then part of his treasure is an ioun stone; specifically, the one that lets you survive indefinitely without air :biggrin:

Otherwise, my guess is that he is killed by Vaarsuvius, possibly as a result of stalling V to the point where V loses the remaining souls without using them, stranding the group in Greysky City. Then either V kills Belkar in frustration, or the thieves guild comes back and gets him.

Or perhaps he is killed by the same cleric who originally saved him...
"Solve a man's problems with violence, help him for a day. TEACH a man to solve his problems with violence, help him for a lifetime!"

[Elan man]

I bet you they will find a loop hole

[rokar4life]

rangers have spells, and hes above level 11, plus, i know she left, but V's necro was part cleric right

[Dagren]

rangers have spells, and hes above level 11, plus, i know she left, but V's necro was part cleric right11 caster level of Sor/Wiz/Clr, not just 11 levels of any casting class. Besides, aren't Ranger caster levels equal to half class levels anyway?

[Mando Knight]

rangers have spells, and hes above level 11, plus, i know she left, but V's necro was part cleric right

The necromancer was pure arcane.
Belkar's caster level is below 11 (his caster level is equal to 1/2 his Ranger level, and Barbarian levels don't advance it either), and he can't cast spells anyway. (Wisdom penalty, thus can't cast spells)

[Aaron]

Could we please stop making all these threads that have the same topic? Belkar's death is already being dicused here (http://www.giantitp.com/forums/showthread.php?t=110267).

[Roland St. Jude]

Sheriff of Moddingham: Three threads about Belkar's death merged.

[Volkov]

If belkar was a death knight he'd have an army of undead minions, belkar on his own is bad enough, do you want him to have undead to back him up as well?